Evann Guessand in Talks for Loan Return to Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace are in talks to bring Evann Guessand back to Selhurst Park on a season-long loan from Aston Villa, in a move that underlines just how quickly his stock has risen in south London.

The 25-year-old Ivory Coast forward arrived at Palace only in January, a mid-season gamble after an underwhelming first few months at Villa. Signed for £26m last August, Guessand struggled to justify the fee in the Midlands, managing just two goals in 21 appearances across all competitions. The numbers told their own story: a big transfer, a slow start, and a player searching for the right stage.

He found it at Selhurst Park.

Guessand’s first Premier League goal came in a tight, nervy 1-0 win over Wolves, the kind of game that often drifts into the background of a long season. Instead, it became a small landmark for a forward trying to reset his career. That finish, and the edge he brought off the bench, began to shift the mood around him.

The season only grew more surreal from there. Guessand ended the campaign as a European double winner, a quirk of modern football that says as much about timing as it does about talent.

He was part of the Crystal Palace side that lifted the Conference League in May, coming on in the final against Rayo Vallecano to help see the job through. Earlier in the season, he had already played his part in Aston Villa’s Europa League campaign before Unai Emery’s side marched on to win that competition as well. One player, two medals, two clubs, one season. Not a bad return for someone supposedly out of form.

On the international stage, Guessand’s profile continued to grow. He made two substitute appearances for Ivory Coast at this summer’s World Cup, edging his way into a fiercely competitive national setup and gaining tournament experience that clubs tend to value highly.

Despite all that, Palace initially let their option to sign him permanently slip. Guessand returned to Villa for pre-season, reporting back to a squad where his path to regular minutes still looks crowded. It felt like the story might simply close there: a useful loan, a productive spell, then back to the parent club.

Instead, the door has swung open again.

Talks are now under way over another season-long loan, a move that would reunite Guessand with the fanbase and dressing room where he looked most at ease in England. For Palace, it offers continuity in attack and a player who already understands the demands of the club. For Guessand, it offers something even more valuable: a chance to turn flashes of promise into a full Premier League season that finally matches his growing medal collection.